Police arrest man who allegedly faked his own death and wife who received $1M from his life insurance

A husband who allegedly faked his own death and moved to California, his wife (who received $1-million from his life insurance) and their son, a Toronto resident, are all under arrest, Toronto police said Friday.

The United States Marshals Service arrested the husband and wife February 11 in Los Angeles. Toronto police arrested their son in Toronto on the same day.

Toronto police allege that while living in Toronto, the husband purchased several life insurance policies totalling $3.525 million and named his wife as the beneficiary. Because their son is a young offender, no one can be named.

The couple then travelled to Iran in 2008 from Toronto. His wife then allegedly claimed her husband died of a heart attack while in Iran.

She received the million here then allegedly she and her husband go off to California

The wife returned to Canada but Const. Vella was not sure if her husband also returned.

She and her son initiated the death-claims process with each insurance company. They eventually settled a claim for $1.01 million, Toronto police Const. Tony Vella said Friday.

“She received the million here then allegedly she and her husband go off to California,” said Const. Vella. “Frauds were committed here and then… they flee.”

The couple did not attempt to change their names while in California, Const. Vella said.

They moved to Mission Viejo, pop. 95,000, in southern Orange County. U.S. officials eventually alerted Toronto authorities of their whereabouts.

Throughout this time, the son lived in Toronto, Const. Vella said, though he did not know where or with whom the boy lived.

The son’s attempt to leave the country in February sparked the police involvement.

“He was going off to California and that’s when officers arrested him,” said Const. Vella.

The husband and wide were extradited to Toronto on Thursday. Police said that all three were scheduled to appear in court at College Park on Friday.

Police charged the husband and the wife with four counts of fraud over $5,000. The wife has also been charged with nine counts of uttering a forged document. Their son has been charged with four counts of uttering a forged document and four counts of fraud over $5,000.